Smoke And Ritual

Author:  Melissa Sercia
Publisher: City Owl Press
Pages: 301
On Sale: May 5, 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Fiction
Stars: 2/5

From the Publisher:

The voices haunt her…

Their whispers taunt her with a war she never wanted…

But Arya Frost has more to contend with than the cryptic voices disturbing her sleep.

Protected inside the haven of Sanctum after losing both her parents in the Blood War a decade ago, Arya is different from other witches. She’s the only witch without a coven.

Or so she thinks. 

As her powers accelerate, so do the revelations about her true lineage.

Destined to become the Aether—a witch who can control all four elements—the Elemental covens want her magic, power she didn’t even know she had.

And when the sexy and mysterious god, Chaos shows up, Arya’s place in the world is put even more at risk.

But learning who and what she is, and how to wield her power only tips the surface of the battle raging inside her. She’ll have to find a way to awaken her magic, deal with her growing attraction to Chaos, all while being thrust into the middle of a magical feud that has been building for centuries.

The Blood War might be over, but the war between witches is just beginning

From Me:

This was a pass for me. It had a lot of potential, but it just felt too superficial and rushed. It was hard for me to believe in the characters and it felt like there was a lot of jumping around and not enough building or depth. I can see this being more for fans of P.C. Cast.

Olive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman’s Journey to the Heart of Africa

Author:  Brad Ricca
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 400
On Sale: August 11, 2020
Genre: Non Fiction, History, Biography, Travel
Stars: 2/5

From the Publisher:

From the Edgar-nominated author of the bestselling Mrs. Sherlock Holmes comes the true story of a woman’s quest to Africa in the 1900s to find her missing fiancé, and the adventure that ensues.

In 1910, Olive MacLeod, a thirty-year-old, redheaded Scottish aristocrat, received word that her fiancé, the famous naturalist Boyd Alexander, was missing in Africa.

So she went to find him.

Olive the Lionheart is the thrilling true story of her astonishing journey. In jungles, swamps, cities, and deserts, Olive and her two companions, the Talbots, come face-to-face with cobras and crocodiles, wise native chiefs, a murderous leopard cult, a haunted forest, and even two adorable lion cubs that she adopts as her own. Making her way in a pair of ill-fitting boots, Olive awakens to the many forces around her, from shadowy colonial powers to an invisible Islamic warlord who may hold the key to Boyd’s disappearance. As these secrets begin to unravel, all of Olive’s assumptions prove wrong and she is forced to confront the darkest, most shocking secret of all: why she really came to Africa in the first place.

Drawing on Olive’s own letters and secret diaries, Olive the Lionheart is a love story that defies all boundaries, set against the backdrop of a beautiful, unconquerable Africa.

From Me:

This book had a lot of potential, but the pace really lost it for me. I found Olive to be kind of wishy-washy in the beginning with her feelings and decisions, but once she sets out for Africa she definitely had more of a spine. That sounded like quite a hard journey for an aristocrat. Regardless, the whole thing just kind of plodded along at a slow pace and even the exciting incidents didn’t spark a lot of interest. The history and geography was interesting, but this was not the exciting journey that I expected.

The Night Is Deep and Wide

Author:  Gillian Sze
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Pages: 20
On Sale: March 16 2021
Genre: Children
Stars: 2/5

From the Publisher:

Rich imagery, gentle rhythm and soothing repetition will lull your little one to sleep as the tulips close for the night, one by one. In this bedtime story written as an Italian villanelle, poet Gillian Sze makes use of the poetic forms of cyclic pattern and rhyme scheme to create a melodious lullaby.

A young child comes in from picking flowers as the creatures around their home all settle down for the evening. Songbirds curl against their mothers’ sides, the house slumps and sighs low, a hush settles as times slows. And little readers are invited to rest their heads and be soothed to sleep as moonlight falls on eyes that close.

From Me:

This seemed to be more like an illustrated poem than a children’s story.  There isn’t anything in the way of plot, it’s just some repeated phrases that are supposed to lull a child to sleep.  The artwork is very bold and graphic; I don’t think it paired well with the soothing language.  It was alright, but not something I’ll be picking up for the children I know.

Grumpy Cat Awful-ly Big Comics Collection

Author: Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, Ben Fisher, Derek Fridolfs, Ilias Kyriazis, Steve Uy, Ken Haeser, Tavis Maiden, Agnes Garbowska, Michelle Nguyen
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors Ablaze
Pages: 250
On Sale: November 10 2020
Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic, Children’s
Stars: 2/5

From the Publisher:

Collecting every (terrible) Grumpy Cat comic book story ever — in one giant (overhyped) comics collection!

The World’s Grumpiest Cat — and the world’s most adorable internet sensation — continues to delight fans of all ages. With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in a collection of comic stories. If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat. Her comic book escapades are guaranteed to make you smile… even if she’s scowling!

From Me:

I usually love cat comics, but this was not my cup of tea.  The artwork wasn’t particularly appealing to me, and I found the stories to be a bit repetitive and listless.  Grumpy comes off as more rude and cruel than cute and sarcastic, and Pokey often feels to be more of a main character.  Maybe this would appeal more to children than to adults, they might be able to just enjoy going along for the ride.